Fuselage



E. B. CARNS FUS ELAGE Filed May 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet Sept. 1192s,

E. CARNS FUSELAGE Filed May 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MN am PatentedSent,

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rnssia application filed may 18,

' My invention is further intended to pro duce a structure which can beconveniently is made in longitudinally separable sections,

and with these sections constructed so that they can easily unite in amanner to make the b y, as a whole, as rigid as if it were notsectional.

My invention is, also, intended to cover the frame with a metallicfabric, adapted to ofier little air resistance-and togive secureprotection'to the inside of the machine, and

of such a character that parts may be readily 25 left clear forrequisite side openings such as doors and windows. 3

y invention, also, relates to details of construction which will beclearly pointed out below 6 Reference is to be had tn the accompanyingdrawings in which similar reference characters represent thecorresponding parts in all views.

Figure]. is

55 showing my improvements.

Figure 2 is a cross section showing an enlar ed section on the line 2-2of Figure 1.

a side elevation of a fuselage showing the cover openings. 1

Figure a is a broken detail perspective view illustrating the manner ofconnecting adjacent longrons.

Figure 5 is a broken of the frame. 5 Figure 6 is a broken sideelevatiompartly in section, showing the details of the frameconstruction.

Figure 7 is a cross section showing a bulk head, and. its connectionwith the longerons."

5 Figure 8 is a fragmentary view showing a connection between a longronand anadjacent part, and Figure 9 is a detail section illustrating themanner of applying the cover.- The fuselage 10 is preferably made up inigure 3 .is a broken detail in elevation.

plan view of; a part.

192?. Serial at. 192,243.

longitudinally separable sections, each complete in itself, and shapedto give the desired contour tothe body when the latter is as sembled.

l have shown the sections 11, 12, 13, and

it, but so far as my invention-1s concerned, there'maybe a greater orless number of these sections and, in fact, certain. features of theconstruction, as will appear, are applicable to a body sections.

The body of the fuselage or, more specifical'ly, its frame, haslonfgrons which are which is not of separable preferably triangular incross section and are, in any event, tubular,.or substantially so, thesehavingopenings '16 in one of the fiat sides, to lighten the longrons andto afford access for riveting or fasteningoperations. The triangularshape of the longrons causes them to fit nicely in the corners of theframe, especially if the frame is rectangular incross section,

which it preferably is, and if this shape is departed from, thelongron's have external fiat sides to enable the cover to fit upon them,and to enable the struts and ribs presently referred to,to; have a firmbear-vmg on and secure connection with the p longrons.

'llhe' longrons, when united end to end, form each a complete longron,and taper as shown in Figure 6 from the mid-section of thefuselage or betoward the ends.

The two upper longrons 15 and two lower longrons, are connected by crossribs 17 which of substantially conventional shape, except that the T'shave their webs bellied or thickened in the center, and tapering towardsthe ends.

Where the ribs are 4 connected with the longrons, I in Figure 2 at 19 soas to fit the inner oblique face of a longron, while the flange part isleft plain so as to lie against the top or bottom flat side of alongron, to which it is riveted or otherwise fastened as thedrawingshows; Thus, the cross ribs are essentially dove tailed to the longronin a simple manner, so as to bear upon two faces thereof, and when theyare fastened to the longron, the bracing, while simple is especiallysecure.

At the corners of the body, the cross ribs 1? connect by straps orbraces 20, with the struts 21, on the sides of the frame, and eachtogether the web part is cut away as shown also, the

roe

' strap or brace 20 is preferably of sheet metal,-

has its inner edge bearing against the adjacent longron, and its endportions riveted or otherwise securely fastened to the adjacent rib 17and strut 21- The struts 21 are vertically arranged, and connect theupper and lower longrons 15 on each side, and the struts are diagonallydisposed to act like cantilever braces' They are preferably similar inshape to the ribs 17 already described, and where the straps or braces20 connect with the ribs 17 they fit snugly against and are riveted orfastened to the webs of the ribs as shown at 22.

This structure is especially designed to be made up in sections whichcan be readily fastened together, and each section has, at the end, atransverse bulk head 23, which can be of sheet metal, so that the bulkheads of adjacent sections will lie flat against each other, as in ligurefi, and the bulk heads, as illustrated, are shown as completesheets, but their lllltldle portions can be cut away, if desired.

l i 'here the bulk heads join the longrons l5, angle braces 24; can beadvantageously used, these beingfastened, and having a long bearing onthe longron, and having their flanged parts 25 braced by ribs 26, seeFigure 4, and riveted or otherwise fastened, as at 27, to the bulkheads. At these corner portions of the bulk heads gaskets 23 areprefably placed between them to absorb and prevent the transmission ofmetallic sound waves.

At these points, at leastone relatively large bolt or rivet 27 ispreferably extended through the flanges 25, and bulk heads 23.

Eachlongron section has, at its end, an internal angle brace 28 whichfits at least two sides of a longron, and serves to stiffen the longronat this point, and, also, makes a thicker and better connection for thetongues 29 and 30, as shown in Figure 4.

One tongue or tenon 29 is rigidly fastened at one end to one of thebraces 28, and on one face thereof, while a second tongue or tenon 30 issecured to another face at an angle to the first and on the secondlongron, so that when the longron or frame sections are broughttogether, these tongues or tenons will project into the two abuttinglongrons, and will lie against two faces which are at an angle to eachother.

A series of holes 31 can be provided through the longron and its brace,to receive fastener rivets, and the tongue has a corresponding hole 31.

, When'the adjacent fuselage sections are brought together, and thetongues are in place, they can be riveted or folded, or otherwisefastened, and if bolts are used, the tongue 29 or 30 can have athickened or nut part 32 on the back, so as to form a longer and bettergrifping surface for the bolt.

t will be seen that the frame sections can gether. Each section or theframe of file fuselage, as a whole, is provided with a suitable cover,and I prefer to use a cover 3% which is a flexible metallic fabric andis, preferably, an air tight metal mesh the interstices of which aresealed.

.thus be, very readily and firmly secured to- I This is the cover that Iprefer to use, as

.terial which will keep out wind, but will not materially interfere with"vision. In applying this cover I place relatively soft and preferablynon-hygroscopic strips 33, see Figure 9, between the cover and the partsof the frame against which it would otherwise lie. This prevents thecrystallizing and breaking of the cover at such parts.

I claim:

1. A fuselage having, at the corners, triangular tubular longrons,transverse ribs connecting the upper long-rons and, also, the lowerlongrons, rigidly disposed struts connecting the upper and lowerlongrons on each side of the fuselage, and diagonal braces connectingthe adjacent struts and ribs, and, also, bearing against the longrons.

2. A fuselage of rectangular cross section, having sectionallytriangular taqpring longrons at the corners, transverse ribs connectingthe upper longrons, and, also, the lower longrons, rigidly disposedstruts connecting the upper and lower longrons on each side of thefuselage, and diagonal braces. connecting the adjacent struts and ribs,and, also, bearing against the longrons.

3. A fuselage of rectangular cross section, having sectionallytriangular tapering longrons at the corners, transverse T ribsconnecting the upper longrons and, also, the lower longrons, rigidlydisposed T struts connecting the upper and lower longrons on each side,and diagonally dis osed braces connecting the struts and ri s, andbearing against the longrons. I

4:. A fuselage having essentially triangular longrons at the corners,cross section connecting the upper longrons and, also, the lowerlongrons, said ribs having their flange portions lying against certainflat faces of the longrons and their web portions abutting with otherfaces thereof, and struts connecting the upper and lower longrons oneach side of the fuselage.

5. A fuselage having triangular longrons disposed at the corners of thefuselage, and struts and braces connecting the longrons, the struts andbraces being of T cross section, and with the end portion of their websshaped to'fit the inner faces of the longrons, while transverse ribs ofT Ill ' braces having flanges 7. In a structure of the kind described,the' combination with the triangular longron of a transverse bulkheadand angular braces connecting the bulkhead and longrons, said attachedtothe longrons and bulkheads.

8. A structure of thekind described, comprising separable fuselagesections, each having transverse bulkheads adapted to lie one againstthe other, corner triangular tubular longrons adapted to abut end toend, braces fastened to the longrons and bulkheads,

means for fastening the longrons together end to end, and fasteningelements extending A "through the adjacent bulkheads and their braces.

9. In a structure of the combination withthe angulartubular longronsadapted to abut end to end, of tongues or tenons enterin the adjacentlongrons and disposed so as to e against at least two faces ofthelongron. 1

10. In a structure of the combination with the separable longrons,

adapted to abut end to end, of internal angle braces secured to thelongrons at their end portions, and tongues 01', tenpns entering thetening the sections kind described, the

the kind" described,

abutting longrons, and secured to at least two faces thereof.

11. A fuselage having a frame, and a 00vering therefor comprisin an airtight metal fabric with a wire mesh iody having sealed interstices withparts of. the sealing omitted to form openings through the cover.

12. A fuselage composed of longitudinally separable sections, withmeeting bulkheads at the junction of the sections, means for fasandbulkheads together at the corners, and gaskets disposed between thecorner portions of' the bulkheads.

13. A fuselage having a drum tight metallic cover and shock absorbingmaterial be-. tween the cover and adjacent parts of the fuselagefram6."""'

14. A fusela e having tubular tapering longrons with at sides, at leastone of which has openings therethrough, and'with bracing parts lyingagainst and secured to such flat longron sides.

15. A structure of the kind described comprising separable fuselagesections adapted to e fastened together end to end, said sections havingat the corner tubular'longrons which taper protgressively whereby when.the sections are astenedtogether-the complete longrons of the fuselagewill taperfrom the middle portions to the end portions of the fuselage.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this13th day of May, 1927. a

' v EDMUND -B. CARNS.

